Item B: Downtown Public Safety Issues

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session:Downtown Public Safety Zone Meeting Date: June 9, 2008 Agenda Item Number: B Department: Police Staff Contact: Robert M. Lehner, Chief of Police www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5102 ISSUE STATEMENT This is a work session to discuss safety of the public in Eugene’s downtown. Two versions of a draft ordinance to establish a Downtown Public Safety Zone and allow the Municipal Court to exclude persons who commit certain crimes from the zone are provided. BACKGROUND At the request of the City Council, a work session was held on April 14, 2008, to discuss the Eugene Police Department’s (EPD) Special Projects program and other short- and long-term strategies that have been utilized to manage disorder-related issues in Eugene’s downtown. The strategic plan for EPD created a Special Project Program, funded since FY06 to deploy proactive patrols, including the urban core bike and foot patrols. In response to growing disorder-related issues in the downtown core, including crimes against people and property, Councilors Andrea Ortiz and Mike Clark, organized several downtown safety meetings that were attended by EPD command staff, downtown business operators, and other interested parties. From the meetings some plans were developed and EPD agreed to address the problem with short-, intermediate-, and long-term strategies. Short-term strategies were discussed at the April 14, 2008, City Council work session. In the short-term, EPD assigned an additional bicycle officer to the downtown core to focus on those offenses for which prevention, presence, and an immediate police response is most likely to result in the desired outcome. The effect of this policing strategy has been an observed reduction in crime and a greater sense of safety in the affected portion of downtown. The department’s intermediate strategy has been to assign all foot patrol officers (DEI, West University, and Summer Bicycle Program) under the supervision of one sergeant in the Crime Prevention Section of the Patrol Division to ensure the policing efforts in the downtown core will be managed by supervisors with a focus on reducing crime and improving safety. Exclusion Zones At the April 14, 2008, City Council work session, staff was directed to research and bring back for consideration an enhanced disorder control ordinance such as an exclusion ordinance. Exclusion zones are an enforcement tool that has been utilized in the past by the City of Eugene, with varied levels of Z:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080609\S080609B.doc